The Ecotoxicological Recovery of Ely Creek and Tributaries (Lee County, VA) after Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage |
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Authors: | Mathew L Simon Donald S Cherry Rebecca J Currie Carl E Zipper |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2119 Derring Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA;(2) Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 363 Smyth Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA;(3) Department of Biology, Roanoke College, Life Science Building, Salem, Virginia 24153, USA;(4) Olver Incorporated, Applied Science and Technology Division, 1116 South Main Street, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, USA |
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Abstract: | The Ely Creek watershed (Lee County, VA) was determined in 1995 to be the most negatively affected by acid mine drainage (AMD)
within the Virginia coalfield. This determination led the US Army Corps of Engineers to design and build passive wetland remediation
systems at two major AMD seeps affecting Ely Creek. This study was undertaken to determine if ecological recovery had occurred
in Ely Creek. The results indicate that remediation had a positive effect on all monitoring sites downstream of the remediated
AMD seeps. At the site most impacted by AMD, mean pH was 2.93 prior to remediation and improved to 7.14 in 2004. Benthic macroinvertebrate
surveys revealed that one AMD influenced site had increased taxa richness from zero taxa in 1997 to 24 in 2004. While in situ testing of Asian clams resulted in zero survival at five of seven AMD influenced sites prior to remediation, some clams survived
at all sites after. Clam survival was found to be significantly less than upstream references at only two sites, both downstream
of un-mitigated AMD seeps in 2004. An ecotoxicological rating (ETR) system that combined ten biotic and abiotic parameters
was developed as an indicator of the ecological status for each study site. A comparison of ETRs from before and after remediation
demonstrated that all sites downstream of the remediation had experienced some level of recovery. Although the remediation
has improved the ecological health of Ely Creek, un-mitigated AMD discharges are still negatively impacting the watershed. |
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